OSTEOPOROSIS is a condition which causes the bones to decrease in density – which puts people at greater risk of bone fractures and falls.

Although a fracture is the first sign of osteoporosis, some older people develop the characteristic stooped – bent forward – posture, which can cause people to lose height.Height is lost as the bone crumbles and vertebrae collapses, and the chest and abdomen capacity decreases, sometimes resulting in difficulty breathing as the ribs end up touching the pelvic bone.When the bones in the spine have fractured, it can be difficult to support the weight of the body.However, now a London-based clinic has revealed that a treatment programme can reverse some of the height lost through the common age-related bone disorder.The London Osteoporosis Clinic uses a combination of drug-therapy, non-drug treatments and lifestyle approaches to help patients.

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Osteoporosis reversed: Anne Torry has hailed the treatment

Anne Torry, a 75-year-old bookkeeper, said her height increased by 3cm following treatment at the clinic.“Unbeknownst to me, I actually managed to fracture two discs in my back getting out of the car in a hurry one day; after dealing with the discomfort and niggling pain for a while, my GP organised an x-ray which showed the fractures,” said Anne.“It came as somewhat of a surprise, particularly when my GP suggested that I may have osteoporosis.“I waited patiently for the results, not for a minute thinking that they would be positive.“I was again taken aback when I was told that the fractures were due to osteoporosis and that I would benefit from undergoing treatment.”Anne is among a number of patients at London Osteoporosis Clinic whose treatment programme included the parathyroid hormone Teriparatide, one of the only drugs that can not onlyslow down the progression of osteoporosis, but also help to grow new bone.

Anne’s bone density is showing an improvement of over 10 per cent per year since starting treatment.

Symptoms of debilitating bone disease osteoporosis explained

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Osteoporosis reversed: Being underweight can increase risk

The first signs of osteporosis are often bone fractures

“My GP referred me to the London Osteoporosis Clinic, and I met with Dr Taher Mahmud,” she said. “From the outset, he reassured me and was certain that he could help me.“Even so, when I discovered that I had regained the three centimetres in height that I’d lost to osteoporosis, I was amazed. It was the last thing I was expecting.“My day to day life has improved through the treatment programme, and I am now able to live a reasonably comfortable life, managing jobs that may before have been a little more difficult.“The biggest surprise, however, was definitely the increase in my height!”Following a consultation with Dr Mahmud, a diagnosis will be made by examining the results of a bone density (DEXA) scan.Depending on the stage and severity of osteoporosis, a treatment plan will be put in place, which can range from advice on lifestyle, such as giving up smoking and diet to several drug options, including an 18 to 24 month course of daily injections, prescribed to stimulate cells that create new bone, increasing bone density and replace height lost through the deterioration of bone.

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Osteoporosis reversed: Height loss is a symptom of the condition

The clinic was co-founded by Dr Taher Mahmud whose mother had osteoporosis. Dr Mahmud co-founded London Osteoporosis Clinic with former General Medical Council president, Sir Graeme Catto.“Initially we thought that Anne’s increase in height was an anomaly; we didn’t expect it to be a regular occurrence in our patients,” said Dr Mahmud.“However, in the last week alone, I have seen three further patients who have gained between one and three centimetres in height over the course of one to six months.“My vision was to create a clinic that deals with osteoporosis holistically, and that intervenes early with regards to diagnosis and treatment of this potentially debilitating condition.”Dr Mahmud said more than 8 million osteoporotic fractures occur worldwide- which equates to one every three seconds.“It is not a well-known fact that osteoporosis can be reversed, bone density can be increased, height can be restored and life can go on.”